Not Just a Field Trip…AZFO Field Expeditions
We have designed these expeditions with our mission in mind -- to study Arizona’s birdlife. When you join in a Field Expedition, you are contributing to the understanding of the seasonal status of birds around our state. We may design an expedition in hopes of observing a single AZ rarity suspected to be in an under-studied region. We might survey an area to improve our knowledge of the winter distribution of species there.
These are birding field trips with a purpose. What we learn from these Expeditions will contribute to better management of less-well-known tracts around our entire state, for the benefit of birds and the habitat we share. Because we turn to experienced ornithologists to identify areas in need of study,
these outings are community science at its best. We provide leaders, location, and logistics.
After that, we need YOU --to help gather the data.
Santa Maria Mountain Field Expedition
Memorial Day Weekend, May 23-26th 2025
Come join us for a full-scale survey of the Santa Maria Mountain range in Yavapai County Memorial Day weekend.
This 16-mile long, low mountain range is northwest of Prescott and is the most underbirded of our five eBird Gaps Project areas. Its various mesas, peaks, and hills are a large section of the northwest transition zone between the Colorado Plateau and Basin and Range Deserts. It contains a mix of vegetation types, including chaparral, grassland, pinyon-juniper woodland, ponderosa pine forest, and a riparian corridor. Two designated Wilderness Areas (Juniper Mesa and Apache Creek) within the Prescott National Forest are part of the area. Birders have provided some recent coverage along Walnut Creek and Camp Wood Road, but most of the area has not been birded. We are hoping to survey large swaths of the southwestern, central, and northwestern sections of this eBird Gaps area.
Water is scarce on the range and springs attract birds when there is adequate winter and summer precipitation. Resident and breeding birds likely to be surveyed throughout the range include Acorn woodpecker, Band-tailed Pigeon, Black-headed Grosbeak, Anna’s and Broad-tailed Hummingbird, Black-chinned Sparrow, Bridled & Juniper Titmouse, Common Poorwill, Grace’s Warbler, Gray Vireo, Hepatic & Summer Tanager, Painted Redstart, Steller's Jay, Virginia’s Warbler, Wild Turkey and many more. There is extensive habitat adequate for breeding Pinyon Jay, a species of interest as it is on the Conservation Watchlist having had an 85% decline in populations between 1970 and 2014.
(Santa Maria Mountains. Photo: Dara Vasquez.)
Greenlee County AZFO Expedition
November 9-10, 2024
Report Coming Soon!!!
Thrasher Solar Site Survey and Search Expedition
January 11 and February 1, 2025
Report Coming Soon!!!
Support AZFO
Field Expeditions and Workshops!
AZFO is committed to enhancing bird identification skills and overall knowledge of distributions of Arizona's birds through Field Expeditions and Workshops. To support these activities we have created a new “Field Expedition and Workshop" Fund to help cover related costs, including trip leader compensation and expense reimbursements, insurances, communications, supplies and equipment, and all other expenditures that the board deems necessary to maintain and improve these programs. Your contribution would be greatly appreciated and would directly support our field expeditions and workshops. To donate, click below and type "Field Expeditions" into the notes section of the donation form.
(AZFO Field Expedition. Photo: Jennie Macfarland)